Automatic Testing a Software Product Comprising a Plurality of Software Packages

摘要

A mechanism is provided for automatic testing a software product comprising a plurality of software packages that are to be installed or de-installed in defined order. Software package dependency and prerequisite information is analyzed for each software package and a dependency abstraction level matrix is created for the software packages. The dependency abstraction level matrix is reduced by searching for software packages assigned to more than one abstraction level, determining the highest abstraction level the software package is assigned to, and deleting the software package from lower abstraction levels that the software package is assigned to. Possible software package test combinations of the software product are determined based on the reduced dependency abstraction level matrix. An installation or de-installation procedure of software packages is performed based on the software package test combinations to test installation or de-installation order of the software packages.

主权项

1. A method in a data processing system, for automatic testing a software product comprising a plurality of software packages (P1, . . . , P(Z)) that are to be installed or de-installed in defined order, the method comprising:
providing software package dependency and prerequisite information for the software product; analyzing the software package dependency and prerequisite information for each software package in the plurality of software packages (P1, . . . P(Z)) and creating a dependency abstraction level matrix for the plurality of software packages (P1, . . . P(Z)) with at least one row representing one abstraction level (L1, . . . , L(M)); assigning each software package in the plurality of software packages (P1, . . . , P(Z)) to at least one abstraction level (L1, . . . , L(M)) based on the software package's dependencies to other software packages in the plurality of software packages (P1, . . . , P(Z)), wherein, in the dependency abstraction level matrix, each abstraction level (L1, . . . , L(M)) contains software packages that have no dependencies amongst themselves and depend on at least one other software package assigned to a previous abstraction level (L1, . . . , L(M−1)), and wherein a lowest abstraction level (L1) contains software packages without any dependencies; reducing the dependency abstraction level matrix by searching for software packages assigned to more than one abstraction level, determining a highest abstraction level the software package is assigned to, and deleting the software package from lower abstraction levels [[it]]that the software package is assigned to thereby forming a reduced dependency abstraction level matrix; determining possible software package test combinations of the software product based on the reduced dependency abstraction level matrix; and performing an installation procedure or a de-installation procedure of the plurality of software packages (P1, . . . , P(Z)) of the software product on a computing device based on the software package test combinations to test installation or de-installation order of the plurality of software packages (P1, . . . , P(Z)) of the software product.